Michael Vick, NFL, retiree, income — (Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin Wolpert of SURFLANT, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 19, 2024

Michael Vick New Head Football Coach At Norfolk State University

'It’s an honor to announce that I’ll be the new head coach of Norfolk State University…looking forward to coming back home.'

Michael Vick says he has been hired as the head football coach for the Norfolk State University Spartans.

According to a Facebook post by the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, Vick accepted the position after being considered by Norfolk (NSU) and Sacramento State.

“It’s an honor to announce that I’ll be the new head coach of Norfolk State University… looking forward to coming back home.. ”

The 2001 No. 1 overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons has never held a coaching position but has a history of success as a quarterback.

Although there has been no official press release from NSU confirming the news, the school has been in the market for a football head since firing Dawson Odums on Nov. 26. Over four years of leading the team, Odums was 15-31.

In an interview with The Virginian-Pilot, Vick said he had spoken with Norfolk State University President Javaune Adams-Gaston and Spartans Athletic Director Melody Webb. They reportedly contacted him about the position, and he was intrigued about taking it even though he had never been a head coach.

“I know how to lead and what it takes,” Vick, a four-time Pro Bowl selecion, told The Virginian-Pilot.

Vick started his football career at Ferguson and Warwick High School, where he played football before starring Virginia Tech. Vick played with the Falcons from 2001 until 2007., when the NFL suspended him indefinitely for his involvement in an illegal dogfighting ring.

According to CNN, Vick pleaded guilty to a federal charge and was sentenced to 23 months in prison. In 2009, the NFL reinstated Vick after he served 21 months in jail and two months of home confinement.

The Philadelphia Eagles gave Vick a second chance. He spent five seasons in Philly before playing for the New York Jets in 2014 and the Pittsburgh Steelers a year later. Vick officially retired in 2017.

Roc Nation, jay-Z, Book Of Hot — (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 19, 2024

Jay-Z’s Marcy Ventures Merges With The Investment Firm Founded By Former Obama Adviser Pendulum Holdings

Jay-Z's Marcy Venture Partners has officially merged with the investment arm of Pendulum Holdings.

Jay-Z’s Marcy Ventures has strengthened its Black buying power by merging with the investment arm of Pendulum Holdings, founded by former Barack Obama adviser Robbie Robinson.

The hip-hop mogul’s Marcy Venture Partners has merged with Pendulum Opportunities, to create MarcyPen Capital Partners, Tech Crunch reports. The merger was finalized in September, according to the private equity-industry database Preqin and records filed with the California Secretary of State.

Now, as one entity, the newly established MarcyPen Capital Partners manages $900 million in assets. The company is building on Pendulum Opportunities’ earlier effort to raise a $250 million Fund II, a goal it continues to pursue under the new name MarcyPen Opportunities Fund II. An SEC filing shows it has already secured more than $100 million.

This marks the latest milestone for Marcy Ventures, founded in 2018 by Jay-Z, Jay Brown, and Larry Marcus. The trio shares a strong business history, with Brown co-founding Roc Nation and Marcus co-founding Walden VC, which invested in Pandora Radio and theatre ticket company TodayTix.

Together, they have led Marcy Venture Partners, backing a range of companies, including Partake Foods, web3 company Spatial Labs, Madison Reed, and Rihanna’s successful lingerie brand, Savage x Fenty. Many of the businesses under their portfolio are Black-owned or operated, including Savage x Fenty and the tech incubator Spatial Labs.

Robinson founded Pendulum Holdings in 2019 as a strategic growth investing and advisory platform aimed at accelerating opportunities and value creation for founders and leaders of color. Pendulum’s mission is to transform how successful companies are built and redefine who has the opportunity to build them.

The Morehouse alumnus played a key role in managing the Obama family’s financial affairs after they left the White House and continues to serve as an adviser. Robinson and his investment firm keep a low profile, with Pendulum Holdings and Pendulum Opportunities choosing not to participate in interviews, maintain a website, or publicly announce any deals since their inception.

Delta, Airlines, Luggage — (Photo: Jeff Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 19, 2024

Man Refuses To Allow Fellow Delta Passengers With Connecting Flights To Get Off Plane Ahead Of Him

A video clip shows an airline passenger blocking others' attempts to get off a plane to catch a connecting flight.

A video clip has circulated online, revealing an airline passenger blocking others’ attempts to get off a plane to catch a connecting flight.

According to Atlanta Black Star, a passenger recorded an incident showing a man standing in the aisle waiting for passengers before him to get off the Delta flight. In contrast, passengers behind him asked him to allow them to pass so they could catch connecting flights. As is customary, the process usually allows the passengers in the front to leave the plane while the people in the back rows wait until the people in front of them retrieve their items and leave, allowing the next row to do the same.

However, Delta flight attendants also asked passengers to allow people who have connecting flights to be allowed off the plane first so they don’t miss their flight.

It appears that this passenger was following protocol, except that the woman who recorded the video asked the man to move to allow those passengers with connecting flights to leave the plane, but he refused.

The video shows the man holding up the line with no passengers immediately ahead of him. The flight attendant announces that passengers should allow people with connecting flights to disembark ahead of them. This prompts a woman with the username @lonniecheftastic to speak up for the people who want to catch their next flight.

She asks the man if he could allow the others to get by, and he responds, “Do you have a connection you need to make?”

Someone says, “We do, actually.”

The person filming the interaction says, “It’s a lot of people that would like to get by … this is weird.”

The man still refuses to move as the woman goes back and forth with him, trying to get him to move.

A flight attendant finally intervenes and moves in front of the man and another passenger, who gets up after the attendant approaches. He then instructs them to allow the other passengers to leave while the person filming gets up and moves past them to get off the flight.

@lonnicheftastic This guy said the peope behind him must wait our turn to move thru the aisle, its giving Bully #fyp #explorer #foryou #Delta #vacation #bruh ♬ original sound – Its Jus Food

LisaRaye, Luke — (Photo: Adam Bielawski Creative Commons via Wikimedia Commons)

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 19, 2024

LisaRaye Doubles Down On Remarks About Only Dating Rich Men: ‘I’m Gonna Continue To Live The Way I’m Used To’

LisaRaye didn't stutter when it came to her remarks about only dating rich men.

LisaRaye said what she said when it came to her recent comments on the kind of men she will date.

On Tuesday, the veteran actress was asked to respond to comments made by Uncle Luke regarding her recent interview, in which she confidently explained why she only dates men of a certain stature who can afford her lifestyle without breaking the bank.

“I haven’t followed the story (Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter defending allegations that his girlfriend, Leanna Lenee, is a gold-digger), but I get it, and me? I said what I said… period!! Everybody knows it at this point. Next!” LisaRaye told The Shade Room.

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A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom)

She also addressed the criticism she’s received for her appearance on Carlos King’s Reality with the King podcast, where she opened up about her preference for rich and powerful men.

“I don’t know why people are so afraid to say what they always want to really know. Miss me with the small stuff…I’ve lived, and I’m gonna continue to live the way I’m used to because I can and I do!” she declared.

“You can’t relate? Don’t! I’m very cool with life,” she added.

She added that she doesn’t want to stress out a man who would need to spend his entire paycheck to afford places she’s used to going for lunch meetings.

“You cannot hang with me. You are still wanting a vacation for the weekend. I vacation and go on holiday for the month…We are not going to be able to make this work. That’s simple to me. Thank you.”

The Players Club star also credited Uncle Luke for never trying to shoot his shot with her and remaining respectful over the years.

“No, he has always been very respectful and always will be, I’m sure. We are older,” she said.

“Hello, I love her to death. LisaRaye will tell you straight up if you cannot afford her,” Uncle Luke said. “If LisaRaye has a daughter, her daughter, she would raise her daughter the same way.”

DoorDash, doordash, tips, delivery, driver, shooting, bullets — (Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

by Mary Spiller

December 19, 2024

DoorDash Cracks Down On Unauthorized Account Sharing With New Verification Method

DoorDash has installed frequent identification and selfie checks for drivers before and after completing a delivery.

DoorDash is making some big changes this year. The delivery app is set to require its working drivers to verify their identities more frequently to prevent unauthorized account sharing, Fast Company reports.

The move comes after pressure from several Republican and big city senators.

Door Dash has pledged to more accurately identify and remove dangerous drivers who received complaints and flags on their accounts last summer so that people who commit multiple reckless traffic violations cannot continue to make deliveries with accounts that are not registered in their name.

The San Francisco-launched delivery company explained that it would require some flagged drivers to engage in real-time identity checks immediately after they complete a delivery on their route.

Additionally, DoorDash has finished developing a new AI system that’s trained to flag suspicious unauthorized account accesses, paying attention to login anomalies from different locations multiple times. If flagged by the machine learning system, DoorDash will now require the drivers to verify their identity before they can continue making deliveries on the account.

In the U.S., the method of verification is two steps. It requires drivers to upload a photo of their driver’s license or another form of government-issued identification, and upload a selfie to DoorDash that matches their identification photo before they can continue delivering. Before signing up, new drivers are also required to submit background checks, taken with their Social Security number.

Before these new safety features, drivers were only occasionally asked to re-verify their identities before or after a shift. DoorDash has already introduced this updated system in several big cities, including Los Angeles and Seattle, but the company plans for a wider rollout next calendar year.

DoorDash explained that the company found instances of drivers bypassing unauthorized user status and still making deliveries by sharing accounts with other authorized users. The company has not released an estimate on how many drivers are using shared accounts.

The initial rollout is now asking more than 150,000 drivers to complete self-identity verification checks every week before they’re able to complete jobs, and it’s decided to remove those who won’t comply from the delivery platform.

Several lawmakers also recently called out delivery apps as a whole to put protections in place to keep illegal U.S. immigrants from driving for the platform.

Republican U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (TN), Mike Braun (IN), and Ted Budd (NC) sent letters to leadership at Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub delivery, telling them that food delivery services are being “infiltrated” by illegal migrants in the country.

Baruti K. Kafele — (Photo: BlackNews.com)

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

December 19, 2024

Renowned Black Educator Of 35 Years Releases His 14th Book For School Leaders

Baruti K. Kafele turns his attention to instructional leadership—a crucial, complex, and sometimes neglected, facet of leading a school.

Baruti K. Kafele, a bestselling author and award-winning educator of more than 35 years and formerly a principal of inner-city schools in New Jersey for almost 15 years, has released his newest thought-provoking book entitled What Is My Value INSTRUCTIONALLY to the Teachers I Supervise? In this book, he turns his attention to instructional leadership—a crucial, complex, and sometimes neglected facet of leading a school.

Kafele contends that the primary purpose of supervising teachers is to help them continue to improve in the classroom so that all students have the support and skills they need to succeed. For principals and assistant principals, in particular, it is easy to be so inundated by the noninstructional aspects of the work that the instructional side—including instructional coaching—suffers. This has an adverse effect on the entire school. Just as the quality of teaching directly affects student outcomes, there is also a direct correlation between instructional leadership and student achievement and well-being.

The book, which is available on Amazon, is structured around 10 self-reflection prompts to help the reader answer the question that the title poses: What is my value instructional to the teachers I supervise? This powerful resource offers illuminating stories about and practical strategies for focusing on the instructional side of leadership to improve teacher pedagogy and enable student achievement to soar.

About the author

One of the most sought-after school leadership and classroom equity presenters, Kafele, is impacting America’s schools. During the past 35 years, he has received more than 150 awards and has delivered more than 3,000 conference and program keynotes, professional development workshops, parenting seminars, and student assemblies.

In addition to writing several professional articles for popular education journals, he has authored 14 books, including seven ASCD best sellers.

A former teacher in New Jersey, he was selected as the district and county teacher of the year. As a principal, he led the turnaround of four different New Jersey urban public schools, including Newark Tech, which was three times recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s best high schools.

For more information and/or to book him as a speaker, visit his official website at PrincipalKafele.com

This news was first reported on Blacknews.com.

Lesa Milan, Beyonce, Mina Roe — Lesa Milan courtesy of Lesa Milan

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 19, 2024

Lesa Milan Recalls ‘The Beyoncé Effect’ Turning Her Mina Roe Brand Into An Overnight Success

Lesa Milan credits Beyoncé for putting her Mina Roe brand "on the map."

Lesa Milan credits Beyoncé with helping to make her Mina Roe maternity wear and care brand an overnight success.

The Real Housewives of Dubai star recalls when she first launched her brand and was trying to get celebrities to wear maternity pieces to help with promotion and brand exposure. But she found herself hitting dead ends with managers attempting to charge upwards of $50,000 for a celeb to wear her pieces.

“I started reaching out to the celebrities myself, but I got nothing back,” Milan recalled on Hot 97. “They would just ignore it, and then if they didn’t, it would be like a manager requesting like $50,000 or something for them to wear my stuff.”

“And I was like, ‘I can’t afford that. That doesn’t work,” she continued. “I can’t pay them to wear my stuff. So what can I do? Because I don’t have the budget.’ So I said, ‘You know what, the stylist, I need to go through the stylist because it’s tough to find trendy clothes that fit and are comfortable. And I’m sure they would appreciate Mina Roe.’”

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Milan contacted Beyoncé’s stylist, Ty Hunter, who helped introduce the brand to the music superstar.

“He reached out, and he’s like, ‘OK, Beyoncé’s gonna choose the ones she likes.’ And I was like, ‘Beyoncé is gonna choose it herself?!’ And she chose five pieces, and we’ve only seen her being photographed in two different dresses,” Milan said.

“It was so major. It changed my brand forever. The Beyoncé effect. We went from unknown to known overnight… Beyoncé put me on the map.”

Since launching her maternity wear line, Lesa Milan has expanded her Mina Roe brand to include skincare products for pregnant and postpartum mothers. In addition to stylish maternity fashion, Mina Roe now offers belly masks, oils, and serums designed to support and protect the skin throughout motherhood.

Thrive Culture Box — (Photo: blacknews.com)

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

December 19, 2024

Mompreneurs Collaborate To Launch ‘Thrive Culture Box’ For Black Children

This innovative subscription service delivers a monthly activity box designed to help children and families explore Black culture and uplift communities together.

Parents and other family members can now give children ages four and up the gift of learning and celebrating Black culture. Two Los Angeles-based moms, Dr. Anndretta Lyle and Stacy Kirk, who are leaders in cultural education and technology, respectively, have teamed up to create Thrive Culture Box. This innovative subscription service delivers a monthly activity box designed to help children and families explore Black culture and uplift communities together. Subscribers can expect a new box delivered each month, accompanied by instructional videos and lessons.

Kirk described the debut series focused on Black inventors: “This one is so thrilling—it’s all about Black inventors who shaped history. Each month, kids dive into a fun and interactive online course with physical tools and games that highlight groundbreaking Black inventors, from the genius behind the modern traffic light to pioneers in medicine and technology. Did you know a Black inventor perfected the recipe for ice cream?”

Lyle shared her vision for the project: “We are not only teaching history—we are working with families to spark innovation and confidence in the next generation. As both a parent and an educator, I wanted children to have more than just videos and digital learning. With Thrive Culture Box, kids use their hands and exercise creativity with physical materials as well.”

Lyle brings years of experience teaching Black Studies and Performance Studies at institutions including UCLA, USC, and CSU East Bay, where she currently teaches and earned tenure last year. Across these campuses, a recurring question from her students was: “Why wasn’t I taught this sooner?” In response, she began developing solutions for young Black learners and their families. Her first initiative, Black Arts and Performance Summer Day Camp was launched in 2019 and has drawn families from as far as Nevada. The camp remains in high demand, with 2025 registration already open.

The Thrive Culture Box was born from the need for a scalable solution to meet growing demand. Kirk, a tech entrepreneur and advocate for diversity in education, brought her expertise in business strategy to the project. As the founder of QualityWorks, she emphasized the importance of accessibility: “It’s not just about having a great idea—it’s about making it accessible to as many people as possible. Thrive Culture Box is built with that in mind, ensuring any family, regardless of location, can teach their kids about Black history and culture. It’s about expanding the impact.”

Families interested in joining can subscribe at ThriveCultureBox.com

This news was first reported on Blacknews.com.

spending, summer vacation — Photo by nappy/via Pexel

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 18, 2024

‘Traveling While Black’ Series’ Creators Use ‘Comfortability For Black People’ Metric To Review Destinations

Anthony and Marlie Love created a "comfortability for Black people" metric to evaluate destinations for their "Traveling While Black" series.

The Seattle-based couple behind the “Traveling While Black” series is going inside the “Comfortability for Black People” metric they developed for reviewing destinations.

Marlie and Anthony Love took their passion for traveling the Pacific Northwest to the internet, where they launched their YouTube channel “Traveling While Black.” Now, 13,000+ subscribers later, the Loves caught the attention of advertisers, sponsors, and even Fox SOUL, which offered them a distribution deal, all of which helped them quit their day jobs to take up travel full-time.

Now, as travel influencers and content creators, the Loves focus their content on introducing diverse audiences to destinations where they might not have always been welcome. Their mission is to inspire Black travelers to reclaim spaces and experiences that were historically inaccessible to them.

“If you want to see yourself more in certain spaces, then you have to go,” Anthony told the Seattle Times.

The couple evaluates destinations using a “comfortability for Black people” metric, which considers several factors. These include the presence of other Black people in the area, the percentage of Black residents, and indicators of inclusivity.

Sometimes, the indicators are fairly obvious, like signs welcoming diverse travelers, while others are more subtle, such as the representation of Black people in museums, art exhibits, or special events. The Loves also assess whether the destination preserves and celebrates Black history, examining whether there are plaques, monuments, or restored buildings significant to the Black community. Ultimately, their final measure is based on how comfortable they feel in the space.

Their travel recommendations typically include insights other travelers seek, such as tips on national parks, monuments, hiking trails, museums, and other attractions—all shared with a generous dose of humor. They also use a grading scale to evaluate various aspects, including the journey to the destination and the overall enjoyment of the experience.

The Loves also factor in “all of that ugly history that’s not that far away from where we’re living, on top of all of that,” Anthony shared.

Considering the racist history in most areas of the country, the Loves have been pleased to see how welcomed they’ve felt in most of the destinations they’ve visited.

“If somebody was just to know the history of Oregon … they might say, ‘I’m never going there,’” Anthony said. But “it’s all right to go there. We should go there.”

The Loves drew inspiration from The Negro Motorist Green Book, commonly known as The Green Book, which began in the 1930s as a guide helping African Americans find lodging, restaurants, and other amenities that would welcome them during the Jim Crow era. When brainstorming themes for their YouTube channel, the couple reflected on their own questions: Which areas are diverse and inclusive? Where can they find Black-owned businesses? And which destinations—especially those with small Black populations—are welcoming to Black travelers?

“It was really reminiscent of the questions that they were asking in the Green Book time,” Anthony said.

What began as a travel-focused YouTube channel five years ago has evolved into a partnership with Fox SOUL. The “Traveling While Black with Anthony and Marlie” series now explores destinations like the islands of the Pacific Northwest, Black historic districts, and Washington’s quirky “gimmick” towns.

Mike Tyson, JAKE PAUL, medical, incident, contain, scare, boxing — (Photo: Arnold Turner/Getty Images for BKSH)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 18, 2024

Netflix Readies Mike Tyson Docuseries

'Netflix is the perfect platform to tell my story because of their global reach,' the 58-year-old former boxer said.

Roughly a month after Mike Tyson’s last fight, Netflix announced that a documentary was the next project that Tyson would take on.

According to Deadline, the “baddest man on the planet” will be featured in an upcoming docuseries that will debut on the same streaming platform that showcased his last fight with former YouTuber Jake Paul. Tyson recently lost a unanimous decision, at 58, to a much younger foe, 27-year-old Paul. Now, Netflix is slated to premiere a three-part series to chronicle history’s youngest heavyweight boxing champion.

A new, unflinching look at the life of Mike Tyson is coming soon.

The Netflix Sports series will track Tyson’s meteoric rise and controversies, exploring the man behind the gloves. pic.twitter.com/lYB1un66IC

— Netflix (@netflix) December 17, 2024

“Having an opportunity to share my story through the reflective lens of my growth and maturity in a multi-part documentary on Netflix will be a challenging journey, yet a very welcoming one,” said Tyson. “Most people are too scared to look at their lives objectively, wanting to paint themselves as the hero of their own story. But if we are truly objective, we know we can never be the hero in our own story. We have to be able to face the man in the mirror, taking the good with the bad, to give a full account of our contributions in this life. Netflix is the perfect platform to tell my story because of their global reach.”

Unlike the Hulu docuseries, “Mike,” which Tyson steadfastly downplayed as an official documentary, the Netflix project is being made with his blessings. The series will show his success in the boxing ring and the struggles and hiccups he encountered outside the ropes.

There is no word on whether the docuseries will include the last fight, which caused controversy due to Tyson’s lackluster effort that had people thinking that the fight may have been fixed. Although he survived the eight-round contest, the explosiveness displayed in training video clips before the fight made people doubt that he went all out for the bout against Paul.

The promotional arm behind the fight, Most Valuable Promotions (owned by Paul), denied that the fight was fixed.

“Rigging a professional boxing match is a federal crime in the United States of America. Paul vs. Tyson was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR). Both fighters, in good faith, performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight,” There were absolutely no restrictions—contractual or otherwise—around either fighter. Each boxer was able to use his full arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would violate TDLR boxing rules.”